Werner Horn was a German reserve lieutenant. Von Papen delivered to him
a flat order to blow up the bridge and he gave him $700 for the purpose
of perpetrating the outrage. Horn was partially successful. At his trial
in Boston in June, 1917, he made the following confession:
"I admit and state that the facts set forth in the indictments as to the
conveyance of explosives on certain passenger trains from New York to
Boston and from Boston to Vanceboro, in the State of Maine, are true. I
did, as therein alleged, receive an explosive and conveyed the same from
the city of New York to Boston, thence by common carrier from Boston to
Vanceboro, Maine. On or about the night of February 1, 1915, I took said
explosive in a suitcase in which I was conveying it and carried the same
across the bridge at Vanceboro to the Canadian side, and there, about
1.10 in the morning of February 2, 1915, I caused said explosive to be
exploded near or against the abutments of the bridge on the Canadian
side, with intent to destroy the abutment and cripple the bridge so that
the same could not be used for the passage of trains."
Bribery of Congressmen was intended by Franz von Rintelen, operating
directly in touch with the German Foreign Office in Berlin. Count von
Bernstorff sent the following telegram to Berlin in connection with his
plan:
I request authority to pay out up to $50,000 in order, as on former
occasions, to influence Congress through the organization you know of,
which can perhaps prevent war.
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